Elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark has accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of orchestrating the removal and humiliation of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, as part of a plot to secure his re-election in 2019.
In a letter sent to the current CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on Sunday, Clark alleged that Buhari, in collaboration with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), orchestrated Onnoghen’s suspension to further their political agenda.
He described Onnoghen’s removal as a political manoeuvre aimed at eliminating any opposition to alleged election manipulations.
Clark praised the Court of Appeal for acquitting Onnoghen of charges related to false asset declarations, calling the case unjust.
He also criticized the process of Onnoghen’s suspension, arguing that it violated constitutional provisions that require the involvement of the National Judicial Council and National Assembly in such decisions.
Reflecting on the 2019 election, Clark suggested that Onnoghen’s removal was strategically planned to prevent him from opposing alleged electoral irregularities.
He stated, “I knew he was not treated fairly; he was oppressed and humiliated by President Buhari and Attorney-General Abubakar Malami.”
Clark further addressed the broader issue of accountability, asserting that no one, including the President, should be above the law.
He stated, “President Tinubu’s government must ensure that no one is above the law, no matter their position. A president is just an ordinary citizen once elected, though immune from prosecution during office.”
He also expressed frustration over the lack of accountability for former leaders, noting that some former Presidents are accusing their successors of corruption while ignoring their past misdeeds.
Clark pointed out that Onnoghen, who had once ruled in favour of Buhari during the 2011 presidential election, was removed when his presence as CJN became an obstacle to the government’s actions during the 2019 election.
Clark condemned the events surrounding Onnoghen’s removal as “disgraceful, callous, unjust, and barbaric,” criticizing Buhari for prioritizing his re-election over the dignity and fairness of the judicial process.
He concluded by expressing that the episode was a shameful chapter in Nigeria’s history that the nation is only now beginning to recover from.